Poking her head out of the gap, Feng Ning looked left and right—students were gradually returning from lunch for their midday rest. She made a gesture: “We can go now.”

Avoiding the peak hours, the two of them left the girls’ dorm building. No matter what Jiang Wen said, he refused to walk back to the dorm looking like this. Feng Ning could only take him to a small pavilion in the bamboo grove nearby to shelter from the rain temporarily.

Fifteen minutes later, Zhao Binlin arrived at the battlefield.

He silently looked at the two of them, unable to say a word for a long time.

“What is going on with you two…” Zhao Binlin asked, somewhat hesitant, “What kind of trouble did you get into?”

Jiang Wen’s collar was half-soaked, the chill seeping into his bones; he tugged at it uncomfortably, ignoring Zhao Binlin. Feng Ning reacted for him, “It’s a long story.”

Both of their clothes and pants were streaked with dust marks; Jiang Wen sneezed several times in a row. Everyone looked toward him, and he turned his head aside, glaring fiercely at Feng Ning.

Feng Ning shrank her neck guiltily.

Pei Shurou caught this little exchange between the two of them. She handed the bag in her hand to Jiang Wen, “How did you end up like this.”

She couldn’t imagine at all how someone normally so obsessed with cleanliness could end up so disheveled, dirty as a refugee fleeing famine.

Pei Shurou was tall and slender, wearing a poppy-red wool coat that came down to her knees, a gray plaid long skirt, and short tassel boots.

Feng Ning marveled inwardly: no wonder she was elected campus flower by such a wide margin—look at that, such elegance! Such a figure!

Jiang Wen zipped his jacket up high, put on his hood, and then his mask.

Watching him armor up like this, Feng Ning’s expression was hard to describe: “Aren’t you being a little dramatic?”

“Not dramatic at all.” Zhao Binlin gave an enigmatic smile. “You wouldn’t understand this. You don’t realize it, but at this school, the girls who admire our top-billed heartthrob could probably fill a reinforced platoon—this image simply cannot be seen by the public.”

The rain fell in a drizzle; they’d brought three umbrellas with them. The two boys shared one, while Feng Ning and Pei Shurou each held their own. Feng Ning asked curiously: “Why do you call him top-billed?”

“Because he’s as gorgeous as a flower, born with natural beauty.”

Feng Ning let out a long “ohh” sound, laughing lewdly: “So has he taken any clients yet?”

Jiang Wen shot her a bland glance; this kind of crude joke Zhao Binlin picked up on with effortless ease: “Heheheh, his price is too high, nobody can afford him yet.”

Feng Ning recalled how the girls in their class often secretly discussed Jiang Wen’s good skin; the thought came to her and she said it out loud: “This face, it’d be a waste if you weren’t a woman.”

Jiang Wen shot back: “It’s also a waste that you’re not a man.”

The two of them bantered with each other, the exchange carrying a faint whiff of gunpowder, while everyone else was completely forgotten.

They kept walking.

“My shoelace came undone, hold my umbrella for a sec.” Feng Ning said this to Zhao Binlin.

But when she handed the umbrella handle over, it was Jiang Wen who naturally took it instead. Pei Shurou froze for a moment, then quickly recovered.

Feng Ning crouched down, her dark red backpack on her back, not noticing anyone else’s expressions.

All three others stopped to wait for her; Zhao Binlin held the umbrella for Jiang Wen, while he had half his body exposed outside, holding the umbrella over Feng Ning instead.

It wasn’t just raining, the wind was picking up too, and Feng Ning was freezing to death. Shivering, they reached the fork in the road; she waved perfunctorily at them, “I’ll head back first.”

Watching her figure vanish in a flash, Zhao Binlin turned his head, “Are you two some kind of bad-luck charm for each other? Why does every encounter end in disaster?”

Pei Shurou pressed her lips together, glancing deeply at Jiang Wen: “Are you two close?”

Zhao Binlin immediately jumped in: “I’m alright with her, Jiang Wen’s closer to her.”

Jiang Wen was fiddling with his phone. He tapped open Feng Ning’s WeChat profile picture, clicking around in the settings for notes and tags, thumb pressing the screen dark, replying casually: “She’s just a jinx.”

Zhao Binlin leaned in close, “Why do I feel like your mood is actually pretty good? What exactly were you two up to just now, it couldn’t have been some wild fling in the outdoors, could it?”

Jiang Wen put his phone away: “Besides filth, is there anything else your brain can think about?”

“What’s going on, being this impatient with your own bro.” Zhao Binlin’s expression turned playful. “Ugh, this really hurts my feelings. You were so patient holding an umbrella for her just now, you total simp.” He said “get lost” casually.

Pei Shurou walked beside them, gripping the umbrella handle tighter. She smiled as if nothing was wrong, changing the subject: “Where’s Xi Gaoyuan?”

“Him, he’s been breaking up with Lin Ru lately, probably coaxing her right now.” Zhao Binlin didn’t seem too concerned. “Why do you care about him?”

She brought up the winter break plans: “Didn’t he say before he wanted to go to Hokkaido? Now that the break’s here, why don’t we all go to Japan for a trip before New Year’s?”

Zhao Binlin said with enthusiasm: “Sure, let’s do it.”

Pei Shurou turned to look at Jiang Wen, “A’Wen, are you coming?”

“We’ll see.” Jiang Wen answered her absentmindedly. “I might have things to do.”

Hearing this, Zhao Binlin couldn’t help but ask: “What, what could you possibly have going on?”

Jiang Wen sneezed twice more in a row, “Staying home with my sister.”

Zhao Binlin was quite surprised: “You’re staying with her? Doing what?”

“Homework.”

Zhao Binlin elbowed him, “Not joking around, are you actually coming or not?”

Jiang Wen still shook his head, saying lightly: “There’s a competition next semester, I need to study at home over the break.”

Back at the dorm, two people had already left; Meng Taoyu was packing her things. She was startled seeing Feng Ning’s state, “What happened to you, Ningning?”

“Nothing.” She waved her hand, tone casual: “Tripped on the way back.”

Feng Ning took off her soaked jacket, went to take a hot shower in the bathroom, and came out to find Shuang Yao sitting in a chair.

“You’ve got everything packed?” She asked while drying her hair.

“Yeah.” Shuang Yao looked troubled. “Damn, physics was so hard this time, I think I’m going to bomb it. How do you feel you did?”

“Me? Just about the same as usual.”

Meng Taoyu said goodbye to her: “Ningning, my mom’s waiting downstairs, I’m heading out.”

Feng Ning made a sound of acknowledgment, “Alright, be careful on your way.”

Meng Taoyu pulled her suitcase to the dorm door, seemed to hesitate for a moment, then turned around: “Ningning, if you have time during the break, can I come visit you?”

Feng Ning agreed readily: “Sure, if you want to come play, just message me ahead of time.”

“Okay.”

With only the two of them left in the dorm, Shuang Yao sat up slightly straighter, “How’s that whole forum thing going?”

“What do you mean how’s it going, whatever happens, I don’t care.” Speaking of this, Feng Ning suddenly remembered, “Oh right, I ran into Pei Shurou today.”

“What about her?”

“Pretty good-looking, prettier in person than in photos.” Feng Ning stuffed her winter break homework into Shuang Yao’s backpack—her backpack had just been washed.

Shuang Yao thought for a moment, “Is she close with Jiang Wen?”

“How would I know.”

“You’re not curious?”

Feng Ning was baffled, “Why would I be curious about that?” Shuang Yao studied her expression, tone loaded with meaning: “Really, why do I feel like you and Jiang Wen have been getting pretty tangled up lately, didn’t you sprain your ankle before, and didn’t he carry you to the infirmary, and later helped you find your phone too?”

“He’s pretty fun.” Feng Ning said this.

Shuang Yao looked thoughtful, “And then?”

Feng Ning continued to answer: “He’s fun when he’s angry too.”

“That’s it?”

“Mmhm.”

Shuang Yao observed her expression, smiling mischievously: “After all this back and forth, I don’t believe you don’t like him at all. It’s not because Jiang Wen’s family background is too good and you’re feeling inferior, is it?”

Feng Ning sighed deeply: “Girl, could you please make your imagination a little richer.”

After going home for break, Feng Ning spent two days finishing her winter break homework.

Zhao Huiyun had arranged for the tutoring to be on Mondays and Wednesdays, two hours each in the morning and afternoon. Feng Ning had never formally tutored anyone before, so she specifically prepared lessons in advance.

Before heading out, she specifically checked the weather. It looked okay. To be safe, Feng Ning still brought an umbrella.

She bought a sandwich for breakfast on the way, and entered the address Zhao Huiyun had sent into her Amap navigation.

The Jiang family was in business, and rather superstitious about feng shui. Their house wasn’t in the busy downtown area; though it was a detached villa, the decor style leaned traditional, with trees and flowers planted in the corners of the courtyard—very few modern elements.

Jiang Wen came to open the door, his hair still messy, wearing a loose, low-collared pajama shirt with one button undone, revealing part of his prominent collarbone.

Feng Ning tucked her hair out from her white scarf.

The temperature outside was below zero; her face was frozen red, and she breathed out white mist with every word, “Hi, good morning, classmate Jiang!”

“What’s that in your hand?” He looked listless.

Feng Ning had plucked a wintersweet blossom and handed it to him, “I picked it up on the way here, smell it, it’s actually quite fragrant.”

Some auntie called out anxiously: “Little Wen, why did you come downstairs without even putting on a coat? You already have a cold!”

“You have a cold?”

Jiang Wen lifted his eyelids listlessly, “Yeah.”

Only then did Feng Ning notice his heavy nasal congestion; she thought to herself, could it be from getting soaked in the rain before?

After changing into slippers, Feng Ning followed him inside. Just then, a man walked toward them from the opposite direction.

This man had a sharp, stern jawline, handsome features, dressed in a black formal suit—every bit the image of an elite Wall Street banker from an American TV drama.

Seeing them, he asked: “Is this Xiaorou’s tutor?”

Jiang Wen made a sound of acknowledgment.

The man nodded, said nothing more, and walked past them.

After the man had left, a full ten-plus seconds passed before Feng Ning came back to her senses. Floating on air, she asked the person beside her, “Who was that just now?”

“My cousin.”

Feng Ning excitedly blurted out a curse: “Damn, why is your cousin so handsome? Is he a celebrity?”

Jiang Wen’s expression, consistently neither warm nor cold, turned into a sneer: “Wipe your drool, you love-struck fool.”

Her eyes lit up, and with easy familiarity she asked, “Does your cousin have a girlfriend?”

Jiang Wen suppressed his temper, saying flatly: “What’s it to you?”

“Don’t you think he’s handsome?”

He was used to bickering with her: “Not really.”

Feng Ning’s interest didn’t wane: “How old is your cousin, maybe I still have a chance?”

Jiang Wen’s steps faltered, his face turning quite unpleasant, “Don’t you already have someone you like?”

Feng Ning pondered this, “When did I ever say I had someone I liked?”

“You. Said. It.” Jiang Wen’s tone was ice-cold, barely holding back from losing his temper.

Feng Ning remembered now, grumbling inwardly, wasn’t that just something I said randomly to annoy you?

“Fine, I said it.” She admitted.

Feng Ning didn’t feel anything was wrong with this at all, saying cheerfully: “But that doesn’t stop me from liking someone else too!”

Jiang Wen pricked up his ears waiting for her to continue, and this was what he got instead. His expression turned as black as the bottom of a pot. “You can say something this frivolous without any shame.”

They went up to the second floor; Jiang Wen went to his own room to grab a thin sweater to put on. The two of them went to Jiang Yurou’s bedroom. She’d just gotten up; Jiang Wen bent down, helping his little sister put on her clothes piece by piece.

The little sister’s legs were not fully mobile, and Jiang Wen personally carried her to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face.

Feng Ning rarely got to see him this gentle, and found it quite refreshing.

Jiang Yurou had fair, delicate skin, carrying the pampered air of someone raised with meticulous care in every little way. Feng Ning had itched to touch her cheek several times already.

The little girl’s mind worked quickly, much smarter than that chubby kid Zhao Fanyu. When going over problems, Feng Ning would explain a concept slightly, and she’d grasp it immediately.

During the break, Feng Ning was drinking water. Jiang Yurou tilted her head up slightly, eyes curving into a smile, calling out, “Tutor sister.”

“Hm?” Feng Ning’s heart was melting.

“Brother just told me something.”

“What?”

“Come here a bit.” Jiang Yurou waved her over, looking very mysterious.

Feng Ning leaned in to listen.

Jiang Yurou thought back for a moment, her childish voice crisp and clear, saying innocently: “Brother wanted me to secretly ask you, between him and cousin Jing, who’s more handsome.”